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4th Wall Dramaturgy

Shelley Graham

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Fed UP!

By Shelley Graham
April 10, 2025 01:41 PM
An exciting new musical by recent BYU graduate Joseph Phillips, directed by current BYU student Lydia Cox
8 Min Read
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Interview with the Dramaturg

By Shelley Graham
April 02, 2025 06:17 PM
CFAC External Relations decided to conduct a short interview with Andrew-Elijah Schindler, the dramaturg and playwright for Henry V. They wanted to learn more about his role behind the scenes.
1 Min Read
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The Comedy-Tragedy Debate in The Cherry Orchard

By Shelley Graham
March 27, 2025 09:44 PM
The debate over whether The Cherry Orchard is a comedy or a tragedy began with Chekhov himself and his director (and sometimes friend) Konstantin Stanislavsky.
1 Min Read
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Contextual Resources for The Cherry Orchard

By Shelley Graham
March 27, 2025 09:29 PM
The creative team began working on this production a little more than a year ago. In my role as production dramaturg, I was happy to create a website of resources first for the creative team, and then when we went into rehearsals, for the cast. And now that we are opening the show, the resources offer valuable perspectives to our audiences as well.
1 Min Read
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Moving to the Cherry Orchard

By Shelley Graham
March 20, 2025 08:14 PM
After months of rehearsing on a taped cement floor with acting blocks in place of benches and frames in place of doors, the company finally moves to the theatre space, to a stage with levels and furniture, working doors and chairs out in the audience. The beloved cherry orchard feels so much more real now.
1 Min Read
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“That’s How Things Are”: The Weight of Waiting in The Cherry Orchard

By Shelley Graham
March 20, 2025 03:10 PM
Near the end of his life, Anton Chekhov who had suffered from tuberculosis and depression throughout his life, decided to move to the seaside town of Yalta in order to heal. On January 18, 1904, he wrote to his wife, the actress Olga Knipper, “I’m writing The Cherry Orchard very slowly. Sometimes I feel it’s a success, sometimes a failure…It’s all very ordinary, but that’s how things are, unfortunately.”
2 Min Read
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Study Guide for The Cherry Orchard

By Shelley Graham
March 11, 2025 10:53 AM
For this production we are trying something new! You'll still see some dramaturgical information in your printed program, including the dramaturg's note, "The Weight of Waiting in The Cherry Orchard."
1 Min Read
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Ten Interesting Facts about The Cherry Orchard

By Shelley Graham
February 25, 2025 07:50 PM
One of the wonderful things about being a dramaturg is discovering interesting bits of information here and there about the play and the playwright. These are often things that never make themselves visible in the production, but offer fascinating insights nonetheless. Here are ten of those interesting facts we've learned about Chekhov and The Cherry Orchard.
2 Min Read
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Alabama Story: Educational Resources

By Shelley Graham
February 25, 2025 01:55 PM
As part of the Contemporary Voices Play Festival at BYU, Alabama Story is an example of an award winning playwright whose work we want our audiences and students to know. This play presents an opportunity to think deeply about censorship, racism, political power, and the importance of standing up for intellectual freedom.
1 Min Read
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